Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. ISSN 1110 – 6131 Vol. 23(5): 235 - 251 (2019) www.ejabf.journals.ekb.eg Catalog of Syllidae (Polychaeta) with reference to what was published in the Red Sea and Suez Canal, Egypt Faiza Ali Abd- Elnaby National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) Alexandria, Egypt. [email protected] ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Thirty-six Syllid species were identified in the Petro Gulf Misr Received: Nov. 19, 2019 Project (2017, 2018, 2019). 58 sediment samples were collected from Accepted: Dec. 20, 2019 the Suez Gulf (Gable El Zeit Area). The data revealed that 36 syllidae Online: Dec. 23, 2019 species were recorded; 19 of them are considered new recorded _______________ species reported for the first time during the present study (Species Keywords: with*). Of these species, 13 of them were previously reported in the Polychaetes Suez Canal. This research is considered a new addition to the family Syllidae monitoring work of polychaetes in the Gulf of Suez, supplied by data Suez Gulf and distribution of Syllidae species in the Suez Canal, Red Sea and Suez Canal Suez Gulf region. Adding notes of description for some. Red Sea INTRODUCTION Syllidae are small-sized polychaetes occurring on all substrates, the Syllidae are the most widespread family, including about 900 distinct species belonging to more than 80 genera with complicated morphological and ecological characteristics (Faulwetter et al. 2011). Many polychaetes studies have been conducted in the Suez Canal, Suez Gulf and Aqaba Gulf (Fauvel, 1927; Ben-Eliahu, 1972; Amoureux et al.; Wehe and Fiege, 2002; Hove et al., 2006). In addition, Egyptian researchers researched the polychaetes in Suez Canal, Suez Gulf and Ghardaqa (e.g. Ghobashy & El-Komi (1981) ; Ghobashy et al. (1980, 1990); El-Komi et al. (1998); Mona (1992); Selim (1997, 2009); Emara (2002); Emara & Belal (2004); Ghobashy & Ghobashy (2005); Abd-Elnaby (2009); Bellal (2001) and Shalla &Holt (1999).The present study represents an addition to the knowledge about Syllidae species in the Red Sea particularly in the Gulf of Suez. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was funded by Petro Gulf Company under a frame work organized by National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. Benthic fauna specimens were obtained in autumn 2018 (9 samples) and in winter 2019 (9 samples), as well as in 2017 (40 samples) to cover the area around Plat structures of the Petro Gulf Misr , Oil Company (Gable El Zeit, Suez Gulf) (Fig.1). Samples were collected with Van Veen grab (25x25 cm), samples were washed through a 0.1 mm mesh sieve 236 Faiza Ali Abd- Elnaby to capture tiny worms and 0.5 mm for the remainder of the fauna. The worms were then fixed and identified at species level with an ethyl alcohol solution of 70 %. A digital camera connected to stereo and compound microscopes provided the images of some species. Fig. 1: Map of Gabel El Zeit area RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Syllidae group represents one of the most diverse and more complex systematically family of polychaeta (San Martin 2003, 2005). This family is currently divided in to five subfamilies (Eusyllinae, Exogonina, Autolytinae, Syllinae and Anoplosyllinae (Aguado& San Martin 2009). Knowledge about polychaetes in the Egyptian waters is still relatively poor especially in Suez Canal, Suez Gulf, Gulf of Aqaba and also the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt. The present study revealed many polychaete species are recorded for the first time in Egyptian waters. Only 36 Syllidae species reported in this paper; 13 of them were reported previously in Suez Canal ( Ben Eliahu, 1972 ; Amoureux et al., 1978; Wehe & Fiege, 2002). From the 36 syllidae species that reported during the present study (Table 1), 24 species of them reported previously from Red Sea, and 17 species are considered new for Suez Gulf; most of them are Indo-Pacific, or recorded from South Africa before. This means the ability of these species to move northward to the Gulf of Suez, and then can cross in the future through the Suez Canal and reach to the Mediterranean Sea. 19 new species of them recorded for the first time from Suez Gulf, Egypt (Table 1 species with*). Generally these attempts to propagate more existing Syllidae species have not been studied or published before, to know the species that already exist and focus on their diversity, to make a map of polychaete biodiversity in Egypt in future. Some of the new recorded species are described in this study. Branchiosyllis exilis (Grvier,1900) Branchiosyllis exilis Westheide 1974:60-64 fig.26; Aguado, San Martín and Ten Hove, 2008: 6-10 fig.1 a-f. Material examined: three specimens collected with sand from Gabel El Zeit area (2018). Notes: Three speciemens, 2-2.5 mm long with up to 50 segments, Blades falcigerous, bidentate, with long spines on margin, Dorsal chaeta shafts with distal spines, shafts Catalog of Syllidae with reference to what was published in the Red Sea 237 of most ventral chaeta smooth. Bidentate chaetae becoming unidentate towards posterior end. In posterior chaetigers, first two blades turn out 180, becoming claw- shaped, with short, smooth shafts, remaining six to seven chaetae with distally curved shafts with small spines. Remarks: This species, originally described from Gulf of Aden, also characterized by the presence of claw-shaped chaetae on posterior chaetigers, It is a widely distributed taxon, considered circumtropical (Aguado, San Martín and Ten Hove, 2008). Branchiosyllis maculata (Imajima, 1966)* Typosyllis maculata Imajima,1966: 277 figs. 59 a-m. Branchiosyllis maculata Licher, 1999: 274. Material examined: Only one specimen, from sandy bottom Suez Gulf , (Gabe l El Zeit 2018). Notes: Incomplete, about 6mm, 45 segments, some articles of dorsal cirri partially black. Two to three most ventrally compound chaetae with short shafts and claw-shaped blades. Remarks: The specimens agree well with the original description of B. maculate. The claw- shaped chaetae typical of Branchiosyllis, The posterior chaetae from Indonesia have shafts not as curved in their distal part ,the present shafts similar to the present one. Table 1: Showed the Syllid species recorded during the present study from the Suez Gulf and illustrates their distribution in the Egyptian marine habitats. Species with *(new recorded for the first time through the present study). Syllidae species Suez Suez Red Distribution Gulf Canal Se Branchiosyllis exilis + + + Circumtropical, also present in the warmest (Grvier,1900) waters of the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, Red Sea (Wehe&Fiege, 2002) Branchiosyllis maculata + - - West Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan; Philippines; (Imajima,1966)* Australia; Indonesia (Aguado, San Martín and Ten Hove, 2008) Brania furcelligera (Augener, + - - Australia (New South Wales, S Australia, W 1913)* Australia, Queensland). South Africa, New Zealand. Islands of tropical Pacific. (San Martin 2005& Day, 1967). Brevicirrosyllis weismanni + - + Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean (Langerhans, 1879) (Wehe&Fiege, 2002; San Martin, 2003; Abdelnaby &San Martin 2010. Eusyllis assimilis Marenzeller + + + Pacific Ocean: New Zealand; Australia; Japan. 1875 Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea. Atlantic Ocean: East Atlantic, Red Sea, Suez Gulf (Wehe&Fiege, 2002; San Mart´ın & Hutchings, 2006). Exogone dispar (Webster, + - + Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, 1879) Australia, Red Sea. (Mikac and Musco , 2010); South Africa (San Martin ,2005) Exogone homosetosa + - - Chile, Australia (W Australia), S. W. Pacific Ocean Hartmann-Schröder, 1965* (San Martin ,2005; Day, 1967) Exogone simplex Hartmann- + + + Red Sea, Suez Canal, Egypt (Hurghada). Indian Schröder, 1960* Ocean: Australia (Western Australia). Atlantic Ocean: Angola, Brazil (Paraíba and São), (San Martin ,2005& Wehe&Fiege, 2002 ; Hartmann- Schroder, 1960) Haplosyllis djiboutiensis + - + Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Korea, Southern Japan, (Gravier, 1900)* Australia (Lattig et al,2010) 238 Faiza Ali Abd- Elnaby Haplosyllis spongicola (Grube, + + + Cosmopolitan (Lattig et al., 2010); Red Sea 1855) (Hartmann-Schroder, 1960). Myrianida convoluta + + + West Mediterranean, W Italian coasts, Balearic Cognetti,1953* Islands, French coast, Atlantic, Cuba, Red Sea, Pacific O. Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Suez Canal (Ben-Eliahu, 1977; 1972; Wehe&Feige, 2002). Odontosyllis polycera + - - Angola, Namibia, South Africa, USA(S California), (Schmarda, 1861) * Panama, Indo-Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, (San Martin , 2006;Day, 1967) Opisthodonta morena + - + Pacific Ocean: Australia (New South Wales). Indic Langerhans, 1879 * Ocean: Australia (Western Australia), Red Sea. Mediterranean Sea. Atlantic Ocean: Madeira Island and Brazilian coast.(Wehe&Fiege, 2002&Cinar &Ergen, 2003) Parexogone hebes (Webster & + - + Arctic, North Atlantic up to Mediterranean, English Benedict, 1884)* Channel, southern North Sea, Skagerrak and Bay of Kiel and Red Sea. (Wehe&Fiege, 2002) Pinosyllis heterochaetosa San + - - Pacific Ocean , Australia: New South Wales, Botany Martín & Hutchings, 2006 * Bay (type Locality (San Mart´ın & Hutchings, 2006; Fukuda & Nogueira, 2013) Sphaerosyllis annulata + - - South Brazil, North coast of Egypt (El Burrullus) Nogueira, San Martín, and (Abdelnaby ,2010; Nogueira, San Martín, and Fukuda, 2004 Fukuda, 2004) Sphaerosyllis hirsuta Ehlers, + - - Pacific Ocean, Australia (San Martin, 2005) 1897* Sphaerosyllis pirifera + - + Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean